In all fairness to Sanghamitta, it can be noted that attempts to reify citta have been undertaken by so called Buddhists in the recent times and probably longer. If anybody is familiar with the imfamous Kenny Wheller (he had a site called attan.com that I don't think is up anymore) he made numerous attempts to equate citta with a kind of true self, through the use of poor translations of the pali canon, along with a lot of profanity. Looks like there was a thread about him here:

I think Goldstein's pov is not that we should embrace the ideas/views of other traditions, but that it becomes easier to accept them (reduce our aversions) when we're aware of the commonalities of our traditions. The differences are there though, definitely.

It seems wise to stick with the path/methods that work for us.

"As Buddhists, we should aim to develop relationships that are not predominated by grasping and clinging. Our relationships should be characterised by the brahmaviharas of metta (loving kindness), mudita (sympathetic joy), karuna (compassion), and upekkha (equanimity)."~post by Ben, Jul 02, 2009

There is a lot to be said for deepening our practice through complete dedication and commitment. I don't know anything about Goldstein, but I suspect this is what he did before delving into other traditions.

Though many may disagree, I believe even minimal instruction like in Pure Land, if practiced sincerely and with 100% commitment, can result in deep insight and transformation.

On the other hand, deep teachings can do a great deal of harm. I recall Jung describing an archetypal motif of a sorcerer who was not ready for the magic (horrible things happen!). It can really be a case of too much too soon...

And also Trungpa warning about Spiritual Materialism - plucking all these delectable goodies from this smorgasbord of Buddhism(s) is just bound to give us an indigestion (or a big head covering a great deal of confusion).

I used to collect thick clever books (most of which I still haven't read) and think myself very clever for dabbling in all sorts of stuff. All the while I could even do my laundry on time...

On the other hand, if the motivation is sincere and there is an established direction and deep commitment, maybe it can work?

Dan74 wrote:On the other hand, deep teachings can do a great deal of harm. I recall Jung describing an archetypal motif of a sorcerer who was not ready for the magic (horrible things happen!). It can really be a case of too much too soon...

And also Trungpa warning about Spiritual Materialism - plucking all these delectable goodies from this smorgasbord of Buddhism(s) is just bound to give us an indigestion (or a big head covering a great deal of confusion).

In this teleseminar, Genpo Roshi shares with us the essence of Big Mind, Big Heart, an original approach to Zen practice that can enable even the novice student to have a direct and potentially life changing experience of their own true nature. He also explains why it is vital that we find new ways of understanding, teaching and practicing the timeless spiritual paths of the East.

Dan74 wrote:I used to collect thick clever books (most of which I still haven't read) and think myself very clever for dabbling in all sorts of stuff. All the while I could even do my laundry on time...

On the other hand, if the motivation is sincere and there is an established direction and deep commitment, maybe it can work?

_/|\_

Sometimes going the wrong way and getting lost helps us to understand why that's the wrong way...

"As Buddhists, we should aim to develop relationships that are not predominated by grasping and clinging. Our relationships should be characterised by the brahmaviharas of metta (loving kindness), mudita (sympathetic joy), karuna (compassion), and upekkha (equanimity)."~post by Ben, Jul 02, 2009